Improvement in branding-irons



PATENT Oilrrrono FRANK L. PENNEY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN BRANDING-IRONS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 87,58, dated March 9, 1869.

To all to whom these presents shall come:

Be it known that I,-FRANK L. PENNEY, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have made an invention of certain Improvements in Burning or Branding Irons; and do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, due reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is an under-side face view, and Fig.

2 a vertical section, of a branding-iron containing my invention; Fig. 3, a view of the lower extremity of the arch of the handle.

, Fig. 4 is a side elevation; Fig. 5, an underside or face view of the movable die.

This invention is an improvement in that class of utensils which are employed for affixing or impressing various addresses or brands upon different objects, and which a-re called burning-brands,77 the objects of the invention being to dispense with the great number of different irons now employed in many es tablishments, and to enable various impressions to be made with one and the same implement.

The invention consists in constructing the iron or die in two or more portions, the movable portion containing the words, dates, or4

gnres which require to be changed, such as the days, months, or years, while the stationary portion contains the business name or rm, or trade-mark of the owners of the iron, the movable port-ion or portions being secured to the stationary portion, in manner as hereinafter explained.

lIn the drawings accompanying this specification and illustrating my invention, A denotes a metallic block of any-suitable or desirable design or shape, being in the present instance an oval with a flat bottom, and being intended for branding cigar-boxes. v

A handle, B, is seccred to the block Ain a suitable manner, such handle being provided at its lower part with an arch, c, which spans `an orifice or slot, d, made through the block A, as shown in the drawings.

The orifice d is for reception of au auxiliary block or die, e, which is disposed loosely within it, and so that the lower or marking faces of the two shall be in the same plane, the upper part of the slot being contracted or `reduced in size to receive a shank, f, making part of the block e, and which extends npward through the orifice a short distance, the archof such handle of the implement permitting of this.

The shank f is perforated witha hole, g, immediately above the upper surface of the primary block A, for reception of a pin or bolt, h, which is passed through it, the bolt lying in a shallow transverse groove, i, made in the top of the block A, and at right angles to the length of theshank f of the auxiliary block e.

The diameter of the hole g of the shank f is considerably larger than that of the pin which enters it, the same being in, order that the pin, while serving to force the block e tightly up to its place within the block A, may be capable of being easily and expeditiously removed therefrom.

The lower or marking face of the die or block A is to be furnished with a permanent name of the individual or firm to which it belongs, as well as with any ornamental design, trade-mark, or character which necessity or taste may dictate. The lower face of the movable block e is to be provided with the date which it is desired to impress, as well as with any other desirable gure or character to be employed.

It is well known that in many large establishments-for insta-nce, in distilleriesmany different brands or stamps are employed, and of course any change in a name or date necessitates an additional implement throughout.

By means of my invention only one primarydisk or block is necessary, the changeable characters being formed upon smallmovable blocks, which are applied to the primary block as occasion necessitates.

Although the accompanying drawings show but one auxiliary block ap pliedto the primary, it will be evident that a plurality of such auxiliary blocks may be employed, when necessary, without affe etin g the character of my invention, which, as before premised, consists in composing a branding-iron of fixed and movable portions, as explained.

Should it be found necessary to change the auxiliary die while the whole implement is in a highly-heated state, the pin is to be withdrawn from between the shank f and the block A by a pair of pinchers, andthe latter raised and removed, and the former left standing xed and aremovable block, as described, the arrangement Within the fixed block, recessed and slotted as herein specified, ofa removable letter-block fitting in said recess, and provided With a perforated tongue passing up through said slot, so as to receive the tightening-pin by which the two blocks are held firmly together, inthe manner shown and set forth.

FRANK L. PENN EY.

Witnesses FRED. CURTIS, EDWARD GRIFFITH. 

